The present invention relates to retractable handles, and relates more particularly to a concealable retractable handle of a wheeled travel bag which can be conveniently moved between the extended position and the retracted position by actuation of a control bar.
A variety of travel bags are well known and intensively used by travelers for carrying things. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the structure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,980, entitled "SUITCASE WITH EXTENSIBLE HANDLE AND FOLDABLE PLATE FOR CARRYING ANOTHER SUITCASE THEREON", in which the strap mounting frame has a top portion provided with a horizontally extending first hook support; the handle member has two upright tubular portions which are inserted slidably into two upright tubular sleeves formed on the inner surface of the cover plate, and a horizontal second hook support extending across distal top ends of the tubular portions; the strap has a distal end which is provided with a hook unit that engages removably the first hook support when the strap is wound fully on the rotable shaft, or engages removably the second hook support after the strap is pulled to bind an object carried on the foldable plate. FIGS. 3 and 4 show the structure of "COLLAPSIBLE LUGGAGE TROLLEY" of U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,103, which includes a wheeled base with two parallel posts. Each of the posts has a lower, a middle and an upper tubular section telescopically received within each other and retained in the expanded position by the first and second retaining pins which are biased to extend through holes formed on the tubular sections. A plug movably received within the upper section is connected to a release bar disposed within the handhold on the wheeled base by a link to allow the plug to be controlled by the release bar. The plug has a round-headed lower end projecting out of the upper section and into the middle section which when moved to contact the second retaining pin between the middle section and the lower section acts upon and moves it back to break the retaining engagement between the middle section and the lower section. FIG. 5 shows the structure of CONTRACTION CONTROLLER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TYPE CONTRACTIBLE BAGGAGE CART of U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,404, in which a spring-biased sliding element carried by the controller body is pushed downwardly to cause retraction of stop members provided on the rods of the baggage carrier, thereby permitting the rods to be quickly collapsed into each other when a handle mounted at the top of the rods is also pushed downwardly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,976, entitled "WHEELED SUITCASE OF LUGGAGE SUPPORT WITH COLLAPSIBLE TOWING HANDLE", discloses a suitcase including a luggage member, a support structure attached to the luggage member, the support structure having a first horizontal member having two wheels thereon to facilitate towing on the ground, a second horizontal member, two tubular members coupling the first and second horizontal members. "HANDLE ASSEMBLY OF A BAGGAGE CART" of U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,772 is a length-adjustable handle assembly in which wen the operating means is operated to the first position, the flange surface of the plunger will contact the steel balls and force at least parts of them to fixedly engage with the holes of the outer tube when the holes of the operating sleeve are aligned with the holes of the outer tubes. When the operating means is operated to the second position, the fixed engagement between the steel balls and the holes of the outer tube is released. "PUSHCART HANDLE HEIGHT ADJUSTING MECHANISM" of U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,877 is comprised an upper rod, a right lower rod, a left lower rod, locking holes, a right locking pin, a left locking pin, a right locking spring, a left locking pin, a right slide rod, a left slide rod, a connecting rod, and adjusting springs. When the upper rod is operated for upward or downward movement, the right locking pin and the left locking pin are disengaged from the locking holes to move onto the outer wall surfaces of the right lower rod and the left lower rod. The baggage of U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,040 has an extensible handle member controlled by a substantially Z-shaped spring retainer means.
The aforesaid U.S. patents teach different measures to position the handle. Only the handle of the suitcase shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is made invisible when collapsed.